Clegg warns of ‘crippling’ rises in wine prices post Brexit

Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg has warned that consumers face “crippling” rises in wine prices if the UK leaves the EU without a trade deal.

Former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg

As reported by The Mirror, Clegg warned that the war with Tesco and Unilever over the price of Marmite last week was just the “tip of the iceberg”.

Clegg is due to publish a report warning that crippling trade tariffs could see the price of wine rise by up to 14% if we leave the Single Market.

And it’s not only wine lovers who are set to be affected by Brexit – the price of exported beef could rise by 59%, cheese by 40% and chocolate by 38%.

“A hard Brexit will lead us off a cliff edge towards higher food prices, with a triple whammy of punishing tariffs, customs checks and workforce shortages,” Clegg said.

“The only way the government will be able to avoid this outcome is if it maintains Britain’s membership of the Single Market.

“We must hold Theresa May’s government to account and fight to ensure what comes next is best for British consumers and businesses,” he added.

Clegg, the new EU spokesman for the Liberal Democrats, has warmed that if the government doesn’t secure a new trade agreement with the EU within two years then tariffs will automatically be imposed as soon as we leave the trading bloc.

Last week, the British Retail Consortium warned the government that failure to strike a good Brexit deal by 2019 could impact retailers and customers disproportionately if the UK has to fall back on WTO rules.